Turntable rail switch for transport systems

ABSTRACT

To permit random interconnection of two aligned, as well as angularly offset rail connections by means of a turntable having a straight connecting section and a curved connecting section, the curved connecting section is formed of two circular segments, curved in the same direction, and connected by a straight connecting segment, parallel to the straight connecting section.

United States Patent Meister Sept. 16, 1975 [54] TURNTABLE RAIL SWITCHFOR 768,239 8/1904 Richards 104/99 TRANSPORT 1,403,853 H1922 Ferris104/99 2,211,220 8/1940 Verplanck 104/35 [75] Inv nt r: Erw st r,Delemont, 3,414,194 12/1968 Seitzinger et al..... 238/10 F Switzerland3,426,703 2/1969 Morris 104/ 120 [73] Assignee: Von Roll AG,Gerlafingen,

Switzerland Primary Examiner-Lloyd L. King Assistant Examiner-Richard A.Bertsch [22] Flled 1974 Attorney, Agent, or FirmF1ynn'& Frishauf [21]Appl. No.: 449,289

301 Foreign Application Priority Data [57] ABSTRACT Mar. 22, 1973Germany 2314400 To permit random interconnection of two aligned, as wellas angularly offset rail connections by means of a [52] US. C1 z 104/99;104/35; 246/378 turntable having a Straight connecting section and a[51] Int. Cl. E01B 3/00 Curved connecting section the Curved connecting[581 of Search 104/35, tion is formed of two circular segments, curvedin the 99; 238/10 10 F; 246/430 378; same direction, and connected by astraight connect- 191/81 9 ing segment, parallel to the straightconnecting section. [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3Claims, 2 Drawing Figures 582,436 5/1897 Ridgway...: 104/99 w 7 a l2 4 Q3 2 j I i g I r b r 1 1 L i g PATENTHJSEP! SFBYS SHEET 1 OF 2 PMEMEQ3395391 SHEET 2 UF 2 Fig. 2

TURNTABLE'RAIL SWITCH-FOR TRANSPORT SYSTEMS The present inventionrelates to a turntable switch to connect the terminus of a track, orrail: with other terminal ends of the track or rail, located inalignment with the first terminal end, or at an angle with respectthereto, to form a turntable switch, and more particularly to such aturntable switch for transport systems such as single-track suspendedtransport. systems.

Switches to connect tracks, or rails by means of a turntable,selectively, are frequently so made that a rotary, disk-like element hasa straight track, or rail, and a curved track "or rail, the straighttrack connecting aligned track portions, and the curved rail connectinga rail portion with another one whichis angularly offset therefrom. 1

It has previously been proposed to provide a tumtable switch on whichthe ends of at least two track portions, joined together in a rotaryassembly, are located on a circle concentric to the axis of theswitch.One of the track portions forms part of a circular arc; the other is astraight line and a tangent to the arc, with the tumtable axis as acenter. The radius of the arc corresponds to the vertical distancebetween the tangent passing through the end points of the circular trackportion, and the axis of rotation of the turntable or switch. This hadthe disadvantage that the ends of the track portions on the turntable donot terminate at a circle concentric with the axis of the rotary switchin radial direction, so that it is not possible to connect all trackportions, respectively, with each other. Another, known, turntableswitch utilizes two circular track portions and a straight connectingline. The turntable is controlled by a chain drive, in order to matchthe desired connecting track portions to the fixed track ends. The endsof the connecting tracks match radially with the fixed portion, byterminating at a circle concentric with the axis of rotation of theturntable. The size of this arrangement,

SUBJECT MATTER OF THE PRESENT INVENTION Briefly, a turntable-type switchhas one straight connecting track and a pair of similarly curvedcircular segments, connected by a short straight track section, parallelto the straight connecting section extending across the turntable.

The invention will be described by way of example. with reference to theaccompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a turntable switch having astraight and a curved connecting section, in which the ends of theconnecting sections are radial with respect to the center of theturntable; and

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary view of the turntable, to a larger scale,illustrating an arrangement for four equally distributed track ends, foruniversal connection, and in which the {curved track segments arelocated in a circular segment having an angle, with respect to thecenter of the turntable, of 90.

The basis for the present invention is the realization that the diameterof the turntable as seen in FIG. 1 can be solely determined by theminimum distance a between the straight track section 1 and the curvedtrack section 2, considering the minimum radius of curvature of thecurved connecting section 2. As seen in FIG. 1, the curved connectingsection 2 includes a straight portion 3 of length b, which extendsparallel to the straight connecting section 1. Two circular segmentalportions 4, curving in the same direction, are joined to the straightportion 3. The radius of curvature of the curved segments 4, is r. g

The turntable of the present invention is so constructed that the endsof the connecting sections 1, 2 terminate at the circumference of theturntable 5 in radial direction with respect to the center of theturntable. Theouter track portions, which are fixed, are directed to fitagainst the circumference of the turntable and extend radially withrespect to the center axis 0 of the turntable 5. The curved section 2 isincluded in a sector 6, having a central angle a. The value of the anglea is determined by the curved connecting section 2, the length andcurvature ofwwhich are again determined by the position of the fixedtrack connections with which the turntable is to cooperate.

The most widely used turntable switch' is that shown in FIG. 2, in whichfour track connections 10, 11, 12, 13 terzminate, uniformly distributed,at the circumference of a circle, which is, simultaneously, the circumfere nce of the turntable 5. The connection 1 1, as schematicallyindicated by the arrow, is opposite connection 10. The turntable switchas sp'e cific'ally shown in FIGS 1 and 2, permits flexibl'eand universalintercon- .nection between any one of-the fixed tracks 10l3. The

turntable as described FI GI'1 has" a straight section 1, and a curvedsection 2. Thecurved connecting section 2 is located within the sector'6 The sector 6 in FIG. 2 has a central angle of r/2, the ends of thetwo segments 4 of the curved track section 2 terminate in the radiidefined bythe ends of the segment 6 The general construction required ofa "turntable switch, with a turntable 5 and two connecting sections 1,2, is seen in FIG. 1. A straight line g passes through the center of theturntable 5, aligned with the straight section 1. A line g can be drawnparallel thereto, spaced by a distance a from line g. A second parallelline g" is drawn parallel to line g, spaced therefrom by the distance r.

The segment defined by the terminal or limit radii of segment a isextended to form line 11. Parallel to line 11, a line 11' is drawn,spaced from line 11 by the distance r. At the intersection of lines 11and g", the center M of the radius of curvature of the two circularsegments 4 will be obtained. The intersection of a perpendicular line toline l1 passing through point M is a point at the circumference of theturntable 5, and this perpendicular line is tangent thereto. Thedistance r is the desired radius of curvature of the segments 4, forexample the minimum radius of curvature for the particular tracktransport system under consideration.

Circular segment 4 terminates in radial direction at the circumferenceof the turntable 5. FIG. 2 clearly illustrates the relationship which isdetermined, on the one hand, by the straight portion 3, of dimension bof the curved section 2, and the diameterD of the turntable 5, if thevalues a and r are given:

D=2 \f2a+2r" {2-1 5) Equation (5) shows that as a or/and r increases, Dalso increases. To permit use of a straight portion 3, the followingrelationship must necessarily obtain, derived from equation (4): l

a r J 2 l p (6) If four symmetrically located track ends ll3 are used,the equations become very simple. They may, however, be similarlyformulated for other angles a. To be able to use a straight portion 3,the inequality (6) must be met. The specific radii r, used in actualpractice, may be small. Usually, therefore, any turntable will satisfythe inequality (6 V The turntable neednot be a circular disk; it may,also, be a truss or other girder construction, in which the connectingsections 1, 2 are suitably arranged. If such a construction is used, thecircumference of the turntable 5 should be considered as an imaginarycircle, on which the track sections 1, 2 terminate, in radial direction.

I claim:

1. Rotary turntable switch for transport systems having first rail endsterminating in diametrical alignment, and other rail ends terminating atangles with respect thereto, comprising a straight connecting section(1) and a curved connecting section (2), wherein the curved connectingsection (2) is characterized by two circular segments (4), eachterminating at one end adjacent the edge of the circle of rotation ofthe turntable switch, curved in the same direction, and a straightconnecting portion (3) parallel to the straight connecting section 1)connected between the other ends of thecircular segments and connectingthe circular segments (4).

2. Switch according to claim 1, wherein the straight connecting section(1) passes through the center (0) of the turntable; and wherein thecurved segments (4) have equal arc length, and equal radius of curvature(r), and terminate in radial direction at the edge of the circle ofrotation of the turntable switch.

3. Switch accordingto claim 2, for two right-angle track sections,wherein the minimum diameter of the turntable (5) is defined by lengthD:

the straight connecting portion (3 is defined by length and therelationship of V is satisfied, and wherein i a is the minimum distancebetween the straight connecting section (1) and the straight connectingportion (3);

r is the radius of curvature of the circular segments

1. Rotary turntable switch for transport systems having first rail endsterminating in diametrical alignment, and other rail ends terminating atangles with respect thereto, comprising a straight connecting section(1) and a curved connecting section (2), wherein the curved connectingsection (2) is characterized by two circular segments (4), eachterminating at one end adjacent the edge of the circle of rotation ofthe turntable switch, curved in the same direction, and a straightconnecting portion (3) parallel to the straight connecting section (1)connected between the other ends of the circular segments and connectingthe circular segments (4).
 2. Switch according to claim 1, wherein thestraight connecting section (1) passes through the center (O) of theturntable; and wherein the curved segments (4) have equal arc length,and equal radius of curvature (r), and terminate in radial direction atthe edge of the circle of rotation of the turntable switch.
 3. Switchaccording to claim 2, for two right-angle track sections, wherein theminimum diameter of the turntable (5) is defined by length D: D 2 SquareRoot 2a + 2r ( Square Root 2 - 1)(a), the straight connecting portion(3) is defined by length b: b 2a - 2r ( Square Root 2 - 1)(b), and therelationship of